


Enter Sandman

by addledwalrus



Series: Those Darn Kids! [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: 1990s, 90's Music, Accidents, Arachnophobia, Arrogance, Babies, Bad Advice, Bad Parenting, Banter, Barbecue, Bedtime Stories, Being Lost, Big Sisters, Birthday, Birthday Presents, Body Horror, Brother-Sister Relationships, Bugs & Insects, Bullying, Candy, Childhood Friends, Christmas, Churches & Cathedrals, Creepy, Cultural References, Dancing, Dark Comedy, Demonic Possession, Dolls, Drawing, Drink Spiking, Drugs, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Elemental Magic, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Language, Father-Daughter Relationship, Femininity, Fights, First Crush, Freudian Elements, Gardens & Gardening, Gen, Gender Roles, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Hallucinations, Hallucinogens, Hippies, Homoeroticism, Hormones, Horniness, Imagination, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Investigations, Jealousy, LSD, Little Brothers, Lust, Monsters, Mother-Son Relationship, Movie Night, Musical Instruments, Neighbors, Parent Death, Past Child Abuse, Peer Pressure, Perfume, Period Typical Attitudes, Perversion, Pets, Playgrounds, Pop Culture, Popularity, Pregnancy, Questioning, Sexual Humor, Sharing a Room, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Singing, Skateboarding, Spawn of Satan, Spiders, SpongeBob SquarePants References, Sports, Strangers, Subtext, Swearing, Temper Tantrums, Theft, Toddlers, Toy Story References, Toys, Trick or Treating, Trippy, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2018-12-05 15:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 11,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11581260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: The hectic and occasionally spooky adventures of siblings Michelle and Jared.





	1. Second Time Around

**Late 1987**

"No. You can't be pregnant again."

Karen glared back at her husband for at least a minute before finally finding the words she wished to say in response.

"Well, what would you expect from us having-"

"I didn't think it would happen again so soon!" Steve cried out loudly in anguish, at his wit's end over how to handle another screaming baby.

"I'm sorry, but what's done is done." She gravely tried to reason while crossing her arms. "He's already starting to kick and you know what that means..."

"That he has a mind of his own? What makes you so sure it's a boy?"

"I don't know. I just have a feeling."

"Damn. It really is too late, isn't it?"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, Michelle will most likely be walking by the time I have him. It'll be fine, I promise..."

A look of complete dread became visible in Steve's eyes as he opened his mouth to utter a response, though a shrill wail from down the hall distracted him before the words could come out.

Karen quickly grabbed his hand however and suggested he take time to relax, prompting him to reluctantly sit down upon the couch while she rushed off to comfort their infant daughter.


	2. Playtime

**Early 1989**

"Dadda." Michelle said firmly upon toddling across the living room to reach Steve's side.

"What is it?" He asked, shifting forward slightly to observe her large blue eyes.

"Dadda. Fly." She uttered in a more impatient tone while reaching out to tug on his sleeve.

Steve sighed and gently wrestled her tiny fist away, knowing full well what she wanted him to do.

He carefully picked her up off the floor and against his own sense of dignity, pretended to fly her around like a plane while she tried to imitate the sound of a running engine.

He set her back down a minute later and she pouted in disappointment for a few moments, before being completely distracted by the sight of her infant brother playing with blocks.

"Cutie Jared..." She cooed excitedly, plopping down beside the drooling child so that she could affectionately squeeze his cheeks.

Jared grimaced and resisted his sister's love by forcefully pushing her hands away, though when that didn't work, he simply bunched both fists together and began to cry.

Such a strategy worked like a charm as Karen instantly rushed into the room to comfort him, prompting both Michelle and Steve to stare in disbelief.

Michelle soon turned back to her father with arms outstretched and he reluctantly gave her a long awaited hug.

It became clear while he held her that she'd grow into a woman sooner or later, at which point he became determined to do everything necessary to prevent her from ending up like his promiscuous mother.


	3. Bedtime Stories

**1991**

* * *

"Daddy..." Michelle pleaded as she tugged hard on his sleeve again. "Tell us a bedtime story..."

Steve simply swallowed and stared down at the impatient four year old, unable to resist her adorable face any longer. As such, he stood up and followed her back to bed despite such a responsibility usually falling upon Karen's shoulders.

He pulled a chair into the center of the room and sat down, glancing between the two restless children before narrating the first thing that entered his mind.

"Alright... once upon a time, there was a creature that liked to hide underneath beds. To some, he was known as the Boogie Man..."

* * *

"Mommy!" An unmistakable voice screamed from above, causing Karen to drop her book in alarm and charge straight upstairs to where the children typically slept, only to be greeted by a particularly underwhelming sight.

"I...I don't like this story..." Michelle whispered fearfully, wriggling further underneath the sheets and averting her eyes.

"Mommy, I'm scared..." Jared muttered, turning to stare at Karen in despair while looking like he was on the verge of crying.

"Steve! What have you done this time?"

"I just told them a story..." The man replied somewhat sheepishly as he began to realize the error of his ways.

"About what?"

"The Boogie Man."

Karen shook her head in dismay before moving forward to usher him out of the room.

"I guess you really don't understand kids, do you? Your childhood must have been even worse than I thought..."

Steve said nothing in response and simply headed downstairs to mind his own business, while Karen tried to set things right again by telling a pleasant tale about rainbows and teddy bears.


	4. Higher

**1992**

"There, all done... Jared, stop touching down there. It's not nice."

The four year old boy winced as Karen harshly smacked his hand away, only to defiantly begin tugging at his pants again when her head was turned.

"Mommy, how do I look?" Michelle asked vainly while twirling around in her dress, which attracted a look of disgust from Jared.

"Very pretty. Now, let's go." Karen said impatiently before grabbing both children by the arms. "Steve!"

"Goddamnit..." He muttered in exasperation, emerging from the bathroom moments later still fumbling with his tie. "Do we have to do this?!"

"Well, we do want to look like nice people. Besides, Edwin's been wondering what you've been up to..."

"Oh, him..." Steve recalled with a sigh as he instinctively stepped forward to take Michelle's hand.

* * *

"Uncle Edwin!" Jared squealed excitedly, running straight into the pastor's arms to be lifted up in the air.

"My cute little nephew! Did you miss me?"

"Sure!"

Michelle gripped her father's hand and stared blankly at the rather disconcerting sight of a middle aged man engaging in rough play with a young boy.

"Stop it! It tickles!"

"Alright, how about we play some piano instead?" Edwin suggested, placing Jared back down and brushing dust off his hands.

"Okay."

The two then made their way to the large musical instrument by the wall, where Jared was allowed a place on his uncle's lap.

"First up, this is Middle C..." Edwin explained, pressing one key a few times for his nephew to hear. "You play it with your thumb. Would you like to try?"

Jared simply nodded as he followed the man's words, until he grew bored with the repetitive routine and resorted to simply banging keys at random, caring little about whether it sounded good or not.

Edwin smiled sheepishly and let the boy off so that he could continue playing on his own, before approaching Karen and Steve.

"So, how have you been? You'd better be taking good care of my sister..."

* * *

Michelle stood on her toes to reach for the last cookie, only to have all her hopes and efforts destroyed when a taller child managed to snatch it away first.

Unable to handle such a defeat, she stomped her foot and screamed before giving chase, however futile it was.

They soon disappeared into the mens' bathroom and in a sulk, she collapsed upon the nearest chair to wait for her parents.


	5. Neighborhood Barbecue

**Mid-1992**

Jared sat restlessly near the back of the shopping cart, clutching the edges tightly while Steve pushed him along in embarrassment.

They entered the meat section and the sight of an attractive woman with long wavy hair caught the attention of both.

"Barbara?" Steve said quietly, unable to believe what he was seeing.

She turned to face him with a smile before approaching basket in hand as she also noticed the child accompanying her old friend.

"So, this is your son? What's his name again?"

"Jared, say hello to Barbara. She used to go to school with me."

"Hi..." Jared greeted, pulling himself up and clumsily waving in excitement.

* * *

"Hey, I'm Clive Williams..." The young man introduced himself while reaching out to shake Steve's hand. "...And this is my wife Naomi."

Steve let go of his neighbor's hand and glanced towards the pregnant young woman, whom flashed a brilliant smile before leaving to rejoin the other neighborhood wives.

"So, you're expecting a child?"

"Yeah, doctor said it's a girl. We're thinking of naming her after Dionne Warwick..."

"Ah..." Steve replied as he feigned interest. "I have a daughter too. Her name's Michelle."

"Really? How old is she?"

"Five."

"Oh, that's a shame. I was hoping our kids could be friends, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I understand..."

* * *

"Stay here. I'm going to the toilet..." Michelle sternly instructed her younger brother before charging into their neighbor's house.

Jared cupped his face in boredom as soon as she was gone, though the sound of sizzling meat quickly proved too enticing to ignore.

He got to his feet and trudged slowly forward to stare hungrily at the sausages upon the grill, until a vaguely familiar voice called his name.

"Do you remember me? I'm Barbara..." She said pleasantly, kneeling down to meet him at eye level. "I thought I'd stop by and catch up with some old friends..."

He simply stared back until she gave up and excused herself, inadvertently brushing her hand against his in the process.

A sharp jolt of energy passed through the four year old's body a split second later, leaving him in supreme confusion until Michelle returned to display her frustration.

Amidst being chastised for wandering off so quickly, Jared began to wonder how it would feel to crush his sister's skull and watch the entire neighborhood go down in flames.

The notion brought a cheeky smile to his face, which only infuriated Michelle even more.


	6. Everybody Hurts

**1993**

"Michelle, you're home!" Jared cried excitedly, running for the door at the very sight of his sister's face and eager to welcome her with open arms.

She gasped when he hugged her torso rather tightly, feeling uncomfortable but grateful for such a loving gesture, until a bloodthirsty look became apparent in his eyes.

"I'm gonna break your spine when you sleep..." He added in a low whisper once Karen was out of earshot, maintaining an angelic smile all the while.

Michelle's eyes widened and she frantically wrestled him away before charging into the kitchen to seek her mother's protection.

* * *

"Yay, meatballs!" Jared squealed in joy upon seeing what was for dinner, before once again staring threateningly at his sister and whispering something demonic.

"I wish this sauce was your blood..."

Michelle shuddered and glanced towards a busy Karen in terror, doubting that the woman would believe her due to how silly her last story had sounded.

The six year old decided after a desperate moment of thought to instead try her father and hope that he'd be a little more understanding.

She waited until he was home from work at the garage and had finished a boring conversation with her mother to begin calling for attention.

Unfortunately, a badly timed phone call prevented her from ever taking the chance, as he hurriedly got up to answer and spoke in an uncomfortably grave tone.

"Yes, he...he's my father. What's happened?"

* * *

Steve numbly approached the hospital room to discover a lone nurse inspecting a sheet covered body and in denial, convinced himself that there had been some mistake or misunderstanding.

The nurse seemed to think otherwise however and he winded up following her along in identifying the deceased as well as giving a brief summary of his family history.

He was allowed to sit out in the hall afterwards to come to terms with the loss, though his father's death seemed almost underwhelming in wake of the man's frequent absence and lifelong infidelity.

Truth be told, it worried him more that Jared and Michelle might feel similar apathy once he was gone, a possibility which took him back to the days of being shunned for the circumstances of his birth.


	7. Mother or Monster

**Early 1994**

_"Who could be outside at this time?"_ Steve thought in annoyance when the doorbell suddenly rang twice at a few minutes past seven. He left the dinner table and reluctantly approached the door, cursing whomever was forcing to leave his family's side.

He opened the door to stare down at a miserable looking woman in her mid-fifties, whose face he immediately recognized.

"How did you know I live here?!" He berated while grasping the doorknob tightly, ready to shut her outside at a moment's notice. "The funeral's over. We're strangers now!"

"But Steven..." The woman whispered meekly after a moment of silence. "I'm your mother...and I just want a chance to see my grandkids..."

"Sorry, I'm not letting you hurt anyone else." Steve firmly replied before slamming the door in her face and inadvertently catching his wife's attention in the process.

"Is something wrong?" Karen asked in curiosity as she approached to find out what the commotion was about.

"Nothing. It's just some stupid night salesman..."

"Really?"

A desperate knocking proved his claim wrong however and despite all efforts to shoo Karen away, the woman outside wasn't about to give up without a struggle.

"Steven, listen to your wife! You know it's wrong to leave a poor defenceless woman to fend for herself!"

The tactic worked and Karen pushed past him with a frustrated sigh, opening the door to let the visitor inside in the hope of settling the drama once and for all.

* * *

"Dad, isn't that...?" Michelle's voice trailed off as she stared at the strange woman whom she'd only seen once before.

"Yes, it's grandma..." He answered while staring bitterly across the room at his mother.

"Can I talk to her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Steve..." Karen intervened once again with a roll of the eyes. "I think it's time to let the past go. Maybe your mother's changed..."

"Well, I'm not taking any chances. No meetings unless I'm present as well."

"Then how about you let Jared spend time with her first? Since you're always so protective of Michelle..."

A confused Jared overheard the conversation and glanced towards his mother for answers, only to understand when he saw the other woman in the room nod in reassurance.

"Hello, grandma..." He said shyly, putting on a fake smile while standing up to meet her and ignoring the fear on Steve's face.

"Why good evening, darling. My name's Grace. Do you enjoy school?"

"Yeah. I have lots of friends."

"Really? What are their names?"

"Kyle, Justin and um...there's too many..."

"Well, I bet you have lots of fun with each other."

"Yeah. But there's a lot of people I hate too. Sometimes I wish they would die."

Grace stared speechlessly at her grandson in response, unsure of whether the boy was serious or just being naive.

* * *

"See, that wasn't so bad after all..." Karen spoke up once Grace had finally left and the children had gone to bed.

"Fine, you win." Steve relented in exasperation without making eye contact. "But from now on, always ask for my permission first. That way, I can get ready in advance and be there if things get out of hand..."

"Whatever you say. I guess there are worse conditions to work around..."


	8. After School

**Mid-1994**

Michelle stared down at the wrinkled front page of a young man with piercing blue eyes before glancing towards Jared, whom didn't look the least bit excited about where they were going.

"I don't wanna play soccer. I want to stay with Michelle..." He grumbled irritably, rolling his eyes at Karen as soon as she looked away.

Such a sentiment was also at least somewhat shared by Steve, who had vehemently opposed the idea of joining a soccer club and claimed that such organizations were simply money traps.

The outcome of that argument was plain to see when Karen found a parking spot and had Michelle wait in the car while she dragged Jared out to meet his would-be coach.

Afterwards, it was off to dance lessons and Michelle allowed herself a little smile at the thought of the one place where she felt safe from her brother's occasionally creepy behaviour.

* * *

Jared sat on the sidelines with several other boys as the coach tried to explain basic rules in a way that they'd understand before calling everyone down to practice kicking.

He was paired up with a slightly taller boy named Matthew and managed to adequately feign competence by mimicking his partner's actions the best he could.

A whistle was blown several minutes later, signalling that it was time to reassemble before the coach again and prepare for their next exercise.

All the while, he stood at the back and quickly grew bored with the monotony of this so-called 'sport'.

He soon noticed the smallest boy present and his mind drifted towards ways to make their experience more difficult than was necessary.

_"I'm going to have so much fun from now on..."_

A gleeful smile spread across his face as he clasped both hands together in excitement, eager for the talking to end so that he could start carrying out his numerous cunning plans.

* * *

Michelle slumped down on the bench once the lesson was over and could only stare bitterly at the newcomer whom had so quickly stolen her thunder.

The girl's name was Candice and she was a pretty young thing with silky golden locks and a slender build that made everyone else present look like a clumsy hippo in comparison.

A similarly beautiful woman was among the parents arriving to collect their daughters and it was obvious from her stylish clothes that she came from a wealthy background.

Such was Michelle's ensuing jealousy that she almost failed to notice that her mother was also standing outside.

She fired one final glance at the elegant pair and lamented the fact that while Karen wasn't ugly, there was a certain toughness about her that could be intimidating at times.


	9. All I Want For Christmas

**December 1994**

"Go on. Sit in Santa's lap. It's nothing to be afraid of."

Michelle swallowed and stared up at Karen nervously while wishing her Dad were around to argue some sense into the situation.

She then turned back to the jolly red suited man before relenting and stepping on to the platform to make her wishes known.

"Ho ho ho. What's your name, little girl?"

"Michelle."

"How old are you?"

"Seven." She replied, glancing at her mother nervously.

"So, tell Santa what you want for Christmas."

"Um...I want a pair of dancing shoes."

"Ah, you're a dancer then. Maybe one day, we'll see you on TV. How does that sound?"

"Good..."

"Okay. Next child."

Michelle was cast aside so that Jared could also have his turn. She trudged back to Karen's side in relief while he excitedly rushed up to greet Santa.

* * *

"Ho ho ho. A little boy this time. Do you mind telling me your name?"

"Jared."

"Was that your sister just before?"

"Yes."

"What would you like for Christmas?"

Jared's face went blank and he paused as if in deep thought before answering calmly.

"I want a flamethrower. So I can play soldier and barbecue my friends."

"Pardon?"

"I want to barbecue my friends."

"...I think it's time to go back to your Mommy. She looks worried."

"Okay."

He cheerfully slid off the old man's knee and soon grabbed Karen's hand as they walked around the mall in search of a suitable present for Uncle Edwin.

The thought of his uncle brought a smile to Jared's smile and he knew that if the power ever lay in his hands, he'd gladly spare the pastor's life over his own father's.


	10. Turning the Tables

**Early 1995**

_Michelle trudged slowly downstairs to silence and the complete absence of her parents while a lone cereal box remained on the table beside a glass of milk._

_The of the front door wide open up ahead worried her and she anxiously moved forward to shut it, only to freeze in disbelief upon seeing the pajama clad figure standing alone in the front yard._

_"Happy birthday, Michelle..." Jared greeted as he turned around and flashed an innocent smile. "Do you like the balloons I got for you?"_

_It was then that Michelle's gaze travelled upwards to where Karen and Steve hung together by the neck on either side of the old tree, swaying gently in the morning breeze as their lifeless eyes seemed to bore deep into her soul._

* * *

"You're probably wondering why I want you both to stay here tonight..." Karen began, sitting back down at the dining table after it had been cleared.

"Why?" Michelle asked her mother whilst also trying to assert superiority over Jared.

"Your Dad...wants to find a better job. But he can't do that unless he goes back to study, which can be pretty expensive, so..."

Karen allowed a few seconds of silence for the news to sink in before continuing.

"So, what does that mean?"

"I've borrowed money from your uncle, but it's not enough. We have to save as much as we can from now on, so I'm cancelling soccer and dance for a while..."

"No!" Both children cried out in unison, feeling betrayed that they had to give up activities they found enjoyable.

Jared then lowered his head to begin sulking, though Michelle wasn't about to accept defeat so easily. She made direct eye contact with Karen to ask one last question.

"Mom, isn't there a better way?"

"Well, there is a cheaper option. But I can't say it's necessarily better..."

"What is it?"

"I'll buy a brand new soccer ball tomorrow, so you and Jared can play together in the backyard."

"But..." Michelle quietly protested, eyes widening in fear at the thought of being left alone at her brother's mercy.

"Well, it's more fun than it sounds. Plus, it'll be a good chance for you to spend quality time with each other."

* * *

Michelle stood anxiously at one side of the yard while Jared warmed up on the other. Something about the way he kept dancing around the idle ball came across as rather taunting and she could only pray that he would jump into action before the suspense drove her mad.

He finally kicked the ball forward a few seconds later and she sent it flying back with little difficulty, before watching in pleasant surprise as he clumsily missed.

_"How's this possible?"_

The minutes passed as she continued to trump him in both leg strength and accuracy, to which she could only conclude that playing soccer was a far less demanding pastime than dancing.

"It's not fair! You're not supposed to be better than me!" Jared eventually screamed in frustration, flying into a rage at being repeatedly overpowered by his sister.

At that, he kicked the ball as hard as he could before charging forward to tackle her. She instinctively stepped aside and shoved him roughly to the ground in self defence, but he wasn't yet ready to accept defeat.

He attempted to fight back by kicking her in the stomach, though in a panic, she instead grabbed him by the hair and shoved his face straight down into the ground, refusing to let go until he gave a loud choke.

She quickly rose to her feet and stepped away, allowing him to slowly get up to reveal a mouth filled with dirt and grass.

He spat at her in defiance before running tearfully back inside to seek comfort from Karen.


	11. The Playground

"Quit touching me. I'm not your Mommy." Michelle snapped as she spun around to glare at her brother in irritation.

Jared quietly withdrew his hand while looking like he was about to hyperventilate.

"But you're my new hero, Michelle. You're better than Mom and Uncle Edwin."

Michelle paused to comprehend what he'd just said before feeling rather triumphant that she had finally brought him to submission. However, she soon realized whom Jared had neglected to mention and raised her voice in concern.

"What about Dad?"

"Better with his head on a plate. There can only be one..."

Michelle backed away slowly in disbelief and took off running down the street. Jared blinked before eagerly trailing after her like a loyal puppy.

* * *

"Michelle, push me please?" Jared begged earnestly after hoisting himself on to the swing and kicking both legs around to little avail.

Michelle heard the plea from a couple yards away and dropped her soccer ball with a sigh. She impatiently made her way over to the swing set and got to work pushing Jared forward until he'd gained enough momentum.

She then wandered off once again to mind her own business and it was while preparing to go down the slide, that she noticed a taller boy whom hadn't been around earlier.

He possessed a smile as charming as the ones worn by children in toy commercials and eager to meet him, she let herself slip down rapidly before straightening out her short skirt.

"Hi, I'm Michelle. What's your name?" She introduced herself while recalling a recent Sesame Street episode about friendship.

"I'm Luke. Wanna play?"

"Sure! I have a soccer ball..."

Michelle took two excited steps in Luke's direction, only to be unexpectedly kicked in the side by a squealing Jared. She fell to the ground in agony and managed to pull herself forward a little, though Luke simply panicked before running away to seek solace from an adult.


	12. One More Chance

**December 1995**

* * *

_"And where do you think you're going?! Look at me when I'm talking!"_

_Steve's hand stopped just short of the doorknob and he spun around to stare straight at Grace's irate face, bracing himself for what was next._

_"I told you this morning. Some boys asked me to meet them outside the mall..."_

_"Bullshit. I know you're just going to hang around that whore Barbara again."_

_Hearing his childhood friend being described in such a manner was enough to briefly consume Steve with anger._

_"Don't you dare call her that!"_

_"Protective, aren't we? If you love her so much, why don't you shack up with her instead? I'm sure her parents would enjoy having you around..."_

_"Shut up. It's not like you ever do much for me either."_

* * *

"Hey, Dad?"

"Wh-what?!" Steve mumbled, opening his eyes to see Jared standing there smiling while static flashed on television. "What do you want?"

Jared maintained his happy expression and coyly tilted his head to the side.

"Can I cut off your tongue and cook it in soup? I'm starving..."

Steve sat up and brushed the seven year old aside in annoyance.

"That's not funny, kid. Where's your Mom?"

"She's still out shopping..." Jared replied quietly as his joy faded to dismay.

"Well, go and play with Michelle. I'll be with you both in a few minutes."

"Fine."

Steve watched his son scurry out of the living room and soon got to his feet just in time to hear Karen returning. He went to open the door so that he could help take in groceries, only to freeze at the sight of an unwelcome face.

"Karen, are you crazy? Where did she come from?!"

"I picked her up on the way here. Is that so hard to accept?"

"Yes!" He cried while unknowingly seizing a stuffed turkey from his wife's hands. "She's only nice when you first meet her! After that-"

"Steven, I'm right here, you know." Grace interrupted with a roll of the eyes as she began to approach the front door.

"And _you_ should know that you can't hide it forever!"

"Alright, both of you calm down!" Karen suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs, shocking the two of them into silence. "Let's just all go inside and try to be a happy family for one day!"

* * *

"Dad, why do you look so angry?" Jared asked rather bluntly at the dinner table, which prompted Michelle to stare at him in disapproval. "Is it something Grandma did?"

"No, not at all..." Steve answered shakily through gritted teeth. He placed his cutlery down and glanced at his watch before making an unexpected proposal. "How about you and Michelle have an early dessert today? Then you can go and play in your room."

"Okay!" Jared squealed in excitement, though it was clear that Michelle wasn't fooled by the apparent show of generosity. She decided to play along however, so as to avoid conflict and being left alone with three tense adults.

* * *

"Thanks for saving me, Ken! Mm-hmm, you're so muscly and strong!"

Michelle stopped by the doorway just in time to see Jared sitting upon her bed while rubbing two dolls' faces together and making exaggerated kissing sounds.

"I can't live without you, Barbie. Marry me!"

Barbie's head fell off with a pop and Michelle lost her patience. She stormed into the bedroom and managed to seize Ken back, before Jared jumped to the floor with a squeal.

He waved the headless Barbie in the air to taunt her while running out of the room. She gave chase and successfully pinned him down near the stairs, where she roughly yanked his hair in rage.

"Stop, it really hurts..." Jared whimpered with watery eyes as the pain overwhelmed him. He meekly returned her favorite toy and she took it before letting him go.

"Never play with my dolls again. And stay on your side of the room. Understand?!"

"I...I understand."

"Good. Now we need to talk about Dad and Grandma."


	13. Don't Look Back in Anger

**Mid-1996**

* * *

"Jared, it's time." Michelle said with a nod as she entered the kitchen. "He's asleep."

The eight year old stared at his sister in resignation before springing to action by helping her search the pantry for provisions. He couldn't but feel uneasy about the way things were going, especially after being told to personally mix sleeping pills into Uncle Edwin's coffee.

"Are you sure we should do this?" He asked nervously while pushing a jar of cookies into Michelle's backpack.

"Yes. We need to find out what Grandma did to Dad."

She grabbed him by the arm and they tiptoed out of the house together to embark on the main phase of their mission.

"Mom and Dad will kill us..."

"They won't." Michelle replied with false confidence while tightening her grip on his flesh.

* * *

"I'm so tired...can we sit down?" Jared whined, coming to a stubborn stop after they'd lost track of how long they had been walking.

Michelle lowered their map to scan the quiet road and dense woodland on both sides before giving her answer.

"No, but you can have a cookie."

She unzipped her backpack and allowed him to take a pick. He took a bite from the chocolate filled treat with tired eyes and upon finishing it, found something else to complain about.

"I'm thirsty."

"Well, so am I. You're such a crybaby."

Michelle handed him a carton of juice and took one for herself too while they continued on at a much slower pace.

"How much longer?"

"I don't know, Jared. We're on an adventure like Woody and Buzz Lightyear."

"Then can I be Buzz?"

"No! I mean, yes you can."

"Thanks, Woody..."

Sweat ran down their foreheads, arms and backs as the afternoon drew on. Flies buzzed around in increasing numbers to the irritation of them both.

A car or two would speed past once in a while, though one eventually screeched to a stop right near where they were walking.

The middle aged driver turned to grin at them and Michelle shoved Jared behind her protectively.

"You kids lost? I can give you a ride if you tell me your address."

"No, we're..." Michelle began to answer, only to hesitate upon noticing that the stranger's accent sounded quite like Steve's. "...we're going to visit our Grandma."

The stranger laughed and she immediately regretted speaking to him at all. She grabbed Jared's arm again in case they needed to run for their lives.

"Visit your Grandma, huh? Well, you are going the wrong way. This road will take you out of the state."

Jared glared at Michelle with a betrayed look on his face before forcefully pushing her aside and running straight for the man's car.

"No, come back!" She screamed while giving chase, though he was already climbing into the backseat by the time she caught up.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she expected to witness her brother being cruelly kidnapped, so it came as a surprise when the driver fired an expectant glance right at her.

She took a deep breath before following Jared's lead and also entering the vehicle, while praying that the stranger ultimately meant them well.

* * *

"My name's Randolph, but you can call me Randy. What was your Grandma's address again?"

Michelle repeated it and Randy's eyes seemed to widen in recognition.

"I knew you two looked familiar. Is your Dad's name Steve, by any chance?"

"Yes...how do you know?"

"We were in the same class twenty years ago. He lived down the street from me and we used to hear his mother screaming a whole block away..."

Jared's sleepy head flopped heavily upon Michelle's shoulder and she twitched in alarm.

"There was this pretty girl he was involved with for a while back then. Her name was Barbara and I heard she's an attorney now or something..."

The car came to a steady stop and Randy turned off the ignition.

"Well, this is the place. Hasn't changed much at all if you ask me."

He helped them outside and offered to show them right to the door of the rundown house, at which point Michelle nervously refused assistance.

"That's fine. If anything happens, I'll try to get in contact with your Dad."


	14. The Great Divide

"Come sit with me, don't be afraid..."

It was Jared whom heeded Grace's words first as he slumped down on the ancient living room, only to immediately groan in discomfort.

"It's so hard. And it smells funny..."

"You can blame Steve for that. He used to toke everywhere with no shame at all."

Michelle sat down beside her brother and found that he hadn't been exaggerating.

"It's a shame you don't look much like him at all. You're definitely Karen's son..."

Grace's expression brightened as she turned her attention towards Michelle.

"But you're another story. You have my eyes and everything."

"Really?"

"Really. It's like I'm looking back in time at myself..."

Michelle felt a swell of pride upon hearing those words and began to wonder why nobody else besides Karen ever appreciated her looks.

She then turned haughtily to Jared with the intention of criticising his inferior appearance, though an unexpected phone call put her on edge as Grace stood up to answer.

The old woman returned a few minutes with an unbelievably wide smile.

"Why didn't you two tell me that Steve sent you here? This is a wonderful day indeed."

"Um..." Michelle replied in confusion before pinching Jared hard to prevent him from spilling the truth.

* * *

Steve pulled to a stop outside the house just in time to collect them both before returning to the driver's seat and dropping all pretense of cordiality.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves, both of you. What made you think it was okay to stow away like that?! You're lucky it was Randy who found you and not some...some..."

He paused to catch his breath while clutching the steering wheel tight, upon which Michelle took the opportunity to speak her mind.

"Grandma says she misses you and wants another chance."

"Really. She said that?"

"Yes.."

Steve sighed and slowed the car down a little.

"Well, she can take that idea and shove it up her backside. You're both grounded from now on."

"But Dad..."

"No buts! Karen was right to enrol you in after school activities."

Michelle clenched her fist and slammed it against the front seat with an anguished cry, while a whimper escaped Jared's lips.

The betrayed looks on their faces were enough to pull Steve out of his clouded judgement and see their efforts for what they really were. A sense of guilt overcame him as it became clear what he'd temporarily become.

"I'm sorry. Forget what I said, you were only trying to help..."

* * *

Jared began third grade later in the year and to his joy, learned that he was no longer the runt of the class.

The position had been inherited by a shy boy with messy blond hair and despite initial misgivings, he soon gave into herd mentality and also tormented the smaller child whenever possible.

A dramatic change became apparent in Michelle around the same time as she rejected the company of his friends in favor of pretty older girls such as Candice van Houten.

The secure feeling of sleeping near his sister each night sure enough turned into an intolerable nightmare as she became increasingly fond of pink and slowly adopted a prissy way of speaking that tore at his nerves.

It was in early January of the following year that he decided enough was enough and approached Karen to beg desperately for change.

She proved to be surprisingly understanding and supported his wishes by arranging a large yard sale so that he could move into what was once the makeshift store room.

"I hate this room. It's so ugly..." He grumbled in regret on his first night as soon as Karen was out of earshot. "Not even pink heart blankets are this hideous."


	15. Look Who's Forty

**Early 1997**

"Dad, can I ask you something?" Michelle spoke up while she watched television beside Steve one Saturday evening.

"Sure, go ahead."

"What do you give Mom on her birthday?"

"Her birthday? Well, I give her...coupons."

"Coupons?"

"It's what she gets for choosing a guy like me."

"Okay..." Michelle replied, guessing that her father's self esteem wasn't so high at the moment and realizing it wouldn't be hard at all to outshine him in the gift department.

"So, any other questions?"

"Uh, yeah. How old is Mom?"

"She's turning forty next week, but it's better if you pretend not to know. She might get insecure again like last year."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll remember that."

* * *

"It's your turn now, Jared." Matthew said firmly, crossing his arms and rising to emphasize how tall he was, while a few other boys stood to the side in anticipation.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Prove that you're tough. See that loser over there? Make him eat sand, or else you don't get to hang out with us anymore."

"Um, okay..." Jared muttered in obedience before taking purposeful steps towards the fair haired boy digging in the sandpit.

The smaller child sensed his presence and looked up with bright blue eyes, though he clenched his teeth and picked up a handful of sand as instructed.

"What are you doing?"

"Making your next lunch, wretched weakling." He explained while the tone of his voice abruptly shifted mid-sentence to a much lower pitch.

"But I don't like sand and my friend is right behind you."

Jared spun around just in time to be shoved backwards into the sand. He landed on his behind and soon realized that the unexpected savior was high achiever Noah.

"Come on, Zach. Let's go somewhere else..."

The tiny boy then stood up and followed Noah out of the sandpit with a bounce in his step, while Jared painfully sat up to loud taunting.

* * *

A get-together at Candice's house proved to be the right opportunity for Michelle to act. She excused herself from the table and instead of using the toilet, went into the bathroom to begin searching for something that looked brand new.

The cupboard was neatly filled with an array of expensive perfumes and cosmetic products, so she fired a quick glance at the door before reaching for something at the back.

She pulled out an unopened bottle of some bright gold liquid and quickly hid it beneath her shirt so that it could be stashed into her bag later.

 _"Eat your heart out, Dad."_ She thought gleefully while rejoining the other girls and trying her best to come across as innocent.

* * *

Karen sat up and stretched her arms on the morning of her fortieth birthday, knowing that Steve was already up as a result of his job being in the city.

A small pile of coupons lay on the bedside table and she flipped through them with a sigh before finally noticing the other object close by.

She grabbed the unopened Yves Saint Laurent bottle in shock and her expression darkened upon reading the card that was attached.

_Happy birthday, Mom._

_Love Michelle._


	16. My Oh My

**September 1997**

Michelle regarded the bright blue album cover with a smile, proud that she had successfully convinced Steve to buy such a thing while out with him one night.

As the pampered older child, she placed the CD into her own personal player before waiting for the first track to begin.

The lead singer's syrupy sweet vocals soon tore at her nerves and the later accompaniment of a gruff voiced man only made her regret the hour spent nagging at the shopping mall.

She quickly pressed stop and removed the CD with the intention of giving it to Jared as another hand-me-down gift.

It was perhaps fortunate that he was brainless enough to appreciate any song with a catchy beat, regardless of it's stupidity or intended audience.

She pushed open his bedroom door to find him on the floor scribbling away at a piece of paper. He sensed her presence and looked up expectantly.

"Another offering for me?"

"Yeah..."

He took it without question and placed it on the bed behind him before going back to drawing. Michelle sighed in relief while heading off to watch TV.

* * *

No sooner had she sat down to enjoy MTV's The Grind however, it seemed that Jared had grown bored of drawing misshapen animals and wished to spend time with her instead.

He planted himself on the couch also and gawked at the scantily clad young people onscreen.

"Hey, Michelle?"

"What?!" She snapped, turning to him in irritation while feeling like her privacy had been violated.

"Why are you watching sexy people dance? It's gross."

"It's not gross. It's cool..."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Jared went quiet and figured that he was the strange one while forcing himself to enjoy the program until it ended.

The broadcast of some recently released music videos followed and he instantly recognized the much despised Backstreet Boys.

He poked Michelle in the side to get her attention before asking another obnoxious question.

"Hey, would you marry all of them? Or just one?"

"Shut up. You're just jealous."

"Of what? Their nakedness...oh..."

The sight of five attractive young men dancing suggestively in the rain proved too much for Jared's mind to handle. It temporarily switched off and a trail of drool soon oozed from his mouth, much to Michelle's disgust.

"You. Are. Sick."

* * *

After having leftovers for lunch, Michelle took the opportunity to get on the phone with Candice despite the very real chance of Jared making more trouble.

Sure enough, it came in the form of him bursting into her room and providing background music by imitating the high pitched voice of Aqua's lead singer.

She turned and yelled for him to shut up, though this only added fuel to the fire. He grinned before raising his voice to a shrill screech and breaking into dance like an epileptic madman.

_"What's that screaming? It sounds like a chimpanzee..."_

"It...it's my brother..."

Michelle turned around in exasperation to see him making pelvic thrusts against the floor and thrashing his head around violently.

"Stop it. Are you retarded or something?!"

"No, I just gain pleasure from your torment." He replied in a cold baritone before reverting to the persona of a boy with too much energy for his body to contain.

* * *

Karen returned home first that evening to find Michelle lying exhausted on the couch with tears in her eyes. The sight of the young girl looking so pitiful was enough to make the heart of any caring mother ache, so she approached to offer comfort and security.

"Are you sick, darling?" She asked gently while placing a hand against Michelle's forehead. "Where's your brother?"

"He...he's a monster..." Michelle simply whispered before closing her eyes in anguish.

Karen decided to let the ten year old rest for a few minutes as she headed upstairs to see what Jared was up to.

She found him in his room, focused intently on completing yet another drawing out of many. He smiled and held it up with pride seconds later, clearly eager for some positive reinforcement.

"All the animals living together in harmony..." He said brightly, despite large splotches of red suggesting the opposite.


	17. Acid Spider

**October 1997**

_"What are you doing here?"_

_Jared looked up to see classmate Noah approaching while accompanied by the smaller Zach and a tiny girl who looked like she was still in preschool._

_"I should be asking you that." Noah responded impatiently with a cross of his arms. "It's three against one. Think you can take us?"_

_Jared nudged the football on the ground while a staredown unfolded between all four children. Zach gave a cough before a faint rustling was heard in the wind._

_Noah was the first to turn around and see the hideous creature scuttling rapidly closer. His eyes widened in horror as he quickly grabbed Zach and the girl so that they could make a getaway._

_Jared was somewhat slower to notice the danger, which resulted in the crab-like monster quickly catching up. It extended a spindly leg to make him trip and fall, before looming forward menacingly._

_He screamed and clawed at the ground in desperation as the creature forcibly rolled him over. The revelation that it possessed the head of a young man whose face was permanently twisted in agony, paralyzed him with fear to the point that he could only whimper._

_A stream of corrosive acid then gushed from the creature's disfigured mouth. It settled all over Jared's face and melted his flesh away with a loud hiss._

* * *

Karen set the container of weed killer down in excitement so that she could comb the grass for something that had caught her eye. Jared watched intently for a few seconds before she rose and presented the furry bug resting upon her hand.

He flinched, which prompted her to offer reassurance.

"It's a huntsman spider. They may look scary, but they're actually pretty harmless. Would you like to hold it?"

"Um..."

Jared reluctantly extended his hand and she let the spider crawl on to his palm. The feeling of it's legs touching his skin made him feel a prickly sensation all over.

He swallowed to compose himself before trying to release it into the grass. It would not budge however and stubbornly clung to him, much to his fear and awe.

"I think he likes you. You could keep him if you want."

* * *

"Bye, Beelz. Gotta go trick or treating." Jared said affectionately as he turned the large jar around to get stsre at the pet that had kept Michelle away for over a week.

He gave the spider a little wave before draping a white sheet over himself and shifting it until he could see through the eyeholes.

Michelle called his name impatiently while she waited by the stairs and he hurried out to meet her. He blinked upon noticing how the so-called vampire makeup only emphasized her dark blue eyes, making them seem entrancing in a way he'd never expected.

"Wow..." He uttered dumbly before she took his arm and lead him downstairs.

Karen made them promise yet again not to venture two blocks beyond their street and to return by eight, upon which they both loudly agreed in frustration.

"I just want you two to be safe, that"s all..." She said with a sigh while watching them hurry outside.

* * *

"So, what was that about meeting Kyle?" Michelle asked somewhat mockingly, swaying their basket as they went on to the fourth house. "I think he's bailed on you."

"Shut up. You're just a pansy who's scared of Beelz."

"No, you're a freak for thinking that horrible thing is cute."

"Well, Kyle thinks he's cool. What do you say about that?"

He fisted her in the arm for extra measure before boldly charging straight across the road without looking. She gasped and went pale with shock at such apparent foolhardiness, though his making it safely to the other side filled her with relief.

She rejoined him a minute later and they trudged through an overgrown frontyard to get to a dilapidated front door.

Jared stretched up to ring the bell while she protectively grabbed his other hand.

A young man with dishevelled long hair and beard soon came to greet them. His voice was a lazy drawl as he looked down at Michelle's expectant face.

"What brings you little dudes here?"

"It's Halloween." Michelle replied calmly, despite a strange smell wafting out of the house and making her feel uncomfortable.

"Oh. I forgot..."

The strange young man wandered inside and returned moments later with a transparent bag of sugar covered gummy bears.

Jared smiled in delight beneath his white sheet while thinking it fortunate that nobody could see his expressions. He took the bag and decided to keep it to himself against Michelle's protests.

His energy began to wane after an hour and gave into temptation by popping two of the bears in his mouth when nobody was looking.

Street lights became remarkably bright a further thirty minutes later, prompting him to stare down at the ground for relief.

That was when tiny shadows began to dance on the pavement before his very eyes. They morphed and changed shape until there were a dozen little arachnids crawling around his feet.

"Pretty spiders..." He remarked with insane glee while tugging on Michelle's sleeve to get her attention. "Pop pop..."

She spun around in exasperation, only to realize that he was acting in an even more worrying way than usual.

"What's happening, Jared? Are you okay?!"

"They're everywhere, Michelle..." He replied monotonously whilst gesturing at nothing. "Even Beelz is with them..."


	18. Acid Spider, Part Two

**1997**

"Beelz?" Michelle questioned upon hearing Jared mention the name of his eight legged friend. "What do you mean, you see him?"

"No, stop eating him! Bad spider!" Jared cried out in rage right before his large eyes glazed over, plunging Michelle into a panic. She thought fast and realized she'd have to take him straight home so that their parents could intervene.

She began to drag him along while retracing the path they had taken. Other children in costumes turned to stare at the disorientated Jared and she urged them all to look away, which unfortunately just raised their curiosity.

"Did you see that kid? He was completely zoned out and in another world..."

"Hey, I think he actually goes to my school!"

* * *

Karen stayed out in the frontyard carving another pumpkin despite Steve's claim that she was taking the Halloween festivities a little too far.

She chose to move on to her fifth one regardless and was busy slicing off the crown when Michelle returned home early with a costume-less Jared, while appearing to be in a panic.

"Mom, I need help! Jared's lost his mind!"

It took one look at the boy's glassy eyes for Karen to know that something was in fact wrong. She hurriedly placed her pumpkin and knife aside, then took Jared inside as Michelle followed in concern.

"Steve, dial 911 now!" She ordered in the ensuing frenzy of guiding her son into a chair and trying to find out what had happened. "There's no time to explain!"

Michelle swallowed in relief as Steve wasted no time in getting to the telephone. Her sense of ease for shortlived however, for Karen was also quick to begin asking some rather pressing questions.

"When did you notice that something was up? What time was it?!

"I don't know! Eight-thirty?"

"Did he eat any candy?"

"No...I didn't see him..."

"Are you sure?"

"Um..."

Karen turned her full attention back to Jared, whom was beginning to squirm uncomfortably where he sat.

"Jared, can you see me? Do you know who I am?"

"Mom...I need to pee..."

"Thank God..." Karen whispered with tears forming in her eyes. "I'll let Michelle watch while you're there..."

* * *

"You are disgusting..." Michelle said aloud with a grimace as she eyed Beelz's tank and mentally braced herself for the task of feeding the spider while Jared was in hospital.

She took a deep breath before lifting the glass lid away with great care and setting it right down on her brother's bed. Beelz immediately began to scurry towards the top of the enclosure and she anxiously reached for the jar of crickets bought from the pet store, desperate to get things done fast.

The crickets chirped and twitched in futility as they landed inside the tank to be consumed by Beelz within the minute. Michelle felt sick to the stomach and returned the large lid back to it's rightful place, before draping a nearby sheet over the whole thing so that she wouldn't have to see anymore.

Steve asked to talk with her that evening and she reluctantly agreed, knowing it would be callous not to seem interested in Jared's wellbeing.

"Michelle, I know it happened two days ago, but I was thinking that you might remember things clearly now. What would you say?"

"Um, I'm not sure..."

"Did you meet anyone who looked suspicious?"

"Not really..." Michelle replied with difficulty, only to recall the now obscure face of the strange young man. "But there was this weird guy...he gave us gummy bears."

"Do you remember how he looked?"

"He had long hair, I guess..."

"What about the address?"

"I didn't see it."

Steve sighed quietly and distanced himself from her. She stayed back while trying to guess his plans and saw what appeared to be fear in his eyes.

"Dad, I'm sorry.. "

"No, none of this is your fault. You couldn't have known."

"Really?"

"I mean it. People are complicated and sometimes, you just can't figure out who to trust."

"So, I guess this means no trick-or-treating next year?"

"We'll talk with your Mom about that later, but first, I have some candy to investigate..."


	19. Crush

**1998**

"Best. Movie. Ever." Candice boldly proclaimed as she skipped out of the theater ahead of Michelle and Jared. Her golden tresses bounced ever so slightly and caught the latter's attention.

Jared smiled foolishly at the older girl in a way which made it clear to Michelle that her brother had become smitten with the wrong person over vacation.

She knew that trying to put him back in place was no longer possible when the Halloween incident and the culprit's arrest had brought him much unexpected popularity, as well aa an ego bigger than the ambition required to make a film like  _Armageddon_.

"You know what would have made it even better?" Jared replied to Candice with an exasperating level of cockiness, thus confirming Michelle's suspicions.

"What?"

"If those astronauts failed and the asteroid destroyed Earth."

"Oh my God, no. That would be terrible!"

"Sorry..." Jared apologized without fully realizing the implication of what he'd said. "Will you still be my Barbie girl?"

"Okay, that's enough. It's time to split up." Michelle spoke up before Candice could give an answer. She seized Jared by the hand while uttering a hasty goodbye, then pulled him along through the crowd despite his resistance.

"Hey, let me go! I don't need your help!"

"I will, if you promise to stop crushing on my friend. She's eleven and you're ten."

"But she's really pretty and the girls in  _my_  class are all gross."

"Well, so are you. Stick to people your own age."

"Michelle?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a bitch."

"You take that back right now."

"No, I'll say it again. Bitch."

"Shut up."

"Bitch!"

Michelle lost control and slapped him across the face. Several adults gave disapproving looks before turning to whisper amongst each other about what a nasty little girl she was, which soon pushed her to the point that she cried alongside Jared near the building's exit.

* * *

Michelle may as well have been in her own world while she sat in class reflecting over the year's events. The presence of Luke, a boy she somewhat fancied, became insignificant as she thought of Jared's behavior and the fact that nobody seemed interested in disciplining him nowadays.

_"Not even Dad tells him off anymore. And teachers just let him do whatever he wants..."_

"Michelle, are you paying attention?!"

She straightened up in fear at the sound of Mrs Grady's voice and impulsively glanced in Luke's direction before apologizing for her inability to concentrate.

Class was dismissed an unproductive forty minutes later and Michelle trailed her crush into the hall, though he was completely oblivious to any signs she tried to exhibit.

When that proved pointless, she grudgingly went to find Jared so that they could catch the bus home together.

* * *

She left the house on Saturday morning under the pretext of going over to a friend's place, when really she was riding across town to visit Grace regardless of what Steve advised.

All the while, Jared passed the time by leaping around on his bed and screeching the only Aerosmith song he knew until it exhausted his throat.

He hopped back to the floor, then charged downstairs and outside without shutting the front door. Bright sunlight prompted him to instinctively shield his eyes as he stepped further out into the street.

The whirr of wheels scraping against pavement attracted his attention and he spun around to see a carefree looking girl coasting along on her skateboard with little difficulty.

Hazel eyes fell upon him and within a mere moment, he had forgotten all about Candice and the distress he'd caused Michelle.

"What are you looking at?" The girl asked cynically, coming to a stop by putting one foot down as soon as she drifted past.

"I dunno..."

"Do you live on this street?"

"Yeah..."

"Cool. Me and my parents just moved in down the road."

Jared gawked stupidly back at her with his mouth ajar.

"My name's April. I'm from Canada."

She held out her hand and he grabbed it tightly before coming back to his senses and trying to think of a clever response.

"Canada? I guess that's why your accent sounds stupid."

"Your  _hair_  is stupid."

"No, it's not. My Mom cut it for me..."

"Okay, whatever. What's your name?"

"Jared. I'm kind of a big deal at my school."

April furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief at his arrogance.

"Well, I hope I'm not going there, then."


	20. Ocean Man & Firestarter

**Mid-1999**

_"So you've had enough of your brother's behavior and don't know what to do?" Grace summarized after hearing the entirety of what Michelle had to say about Jared._

_"M-hm." Michelle confirmed with a nod. "Do you have any advice for me?"_

_"Oh, that's easy, darling. There's only one solution..."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Would you like a cookie, dear?"_

_"No, just tell me what I should do."_

_"Straight to the point just like Steve. Well, let me tell you that it helps to play their game. Everytime he gets on your nerves, you fight back with something just as bad. It's what I used to do with Ross and your Dad..."_

_"But..." Michelle countered, finding such a suggested answer rather unscrupulous. "...that will just get me into trouble with Mom and Dad."_

_"Not if you're subtle. Find his weaknesses and keep targetting them."_

* * *

Michelle followed Grace's advice by using household items to her advantage. It became clear upon observation that Jared was a strong lover of comfort, so she started flushing the toilet whenever he was in the shower just to hear him scream.

The next step she took was to blame him for small mistakes that appeared to be his doing, such as leaky taps and oven dials that were turned up a little too high.

She watched the belief in his own competence slowly erode until he refused to help around the house all together, an outcome that Michelle eventually felt terrible for not foreseeing.

"I'm sorry for being so mean..." She apologized one afternoon while he sat sullenly on the couch and tried not to cry. "You're not really stupid and useless. I've just been really grumpy this week..."

"Liar. You're always telling me what I do wrong and I know it's all true."

He bitterly crossed his arms and it was then that Michelle felt a deep sense of guilt at what she'd been doing. She decided to make the first of many confessions.

"No, it's not. You do things fine, it's just me that's been messing things up and blaming them on you."

"What?!" Jared immediately cried out in horror, rising to his feet and shoving her aside. "How could you do that to me?!"

He fled from the room in a frenzy and left Michelle to stew alone on the floor in regret.

* * *

_"Think about it, Noah. With my water and your earth, we could make a huge mudslide!" Zach proposed excitedly whilst manipulating clear droplets with his hands._

_"Don't forget wind!" Alicia chimed in with similar enthusiasm. "I could get it to move really fast!"_

_"That's not how wind works..." Noah apathetically tried to correct his sister as the ground around them began to shift. "Besides, all you can manage so far are little puffs. We need to think a lot smaller..."_

_"You were saying?" A fourth voice joined in, prompting them to turn around warily. "How could you not invite fire, the coolest element?!"_

_Jared frowned in disappointment and produced a tiny ball of flame in his palm, right before a fifth child also joined in on the meeting._

_"Sorry for being late. I'm new, so I hope it's okay?" The blonde haired girl in pink began, making her presence known to the other four._

_The three boys wrinkled their faces in disgust simultaneously while Alicia failed to understand the shortcomings of having another girl around._

_"Ew,_ _what kind of power is heart anyway? We're not here to make the bad guys love us!" Jared exclaimed while backing away from Brittany._

* * *

Jared was beginning to wonder what he'd ever seen in April at all, as she spent much of their time together focusing more on catering to the needs of her digital pet and raving about  _Spongebob Squarepants_ , a show that Michelle derided for being 'immature'.

"I can't believe it..." He bemoaned after two weeks of hanging around his new girlfriend. "I thought you were cool, but you're just a geeky weirdo like Zach!"

"So? Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yeah. Cool kids don't watch  _Spongebob_. They watch  _South Park_."

"Says who?"

"My sister and all my friends."

"Well..." April replied as she cleared her throat. "...I guess you're all a bunch of posers, watching something just because it's edgy."

* * *

Jared decided to give April's favorite show another chance on Saturday morning, only to find yet again that something about the eccentric slap-stick style humor just rubbed him the wrong way.

"I feel like my life is a lie..." He muttered to himself, oblivious to Michelle approaching from behind until she frightened him with a loud 'boo'.

He jumped and dropped the remote control in alarm, before hastily picking it up and cursing loudly at his sister.

"You didn't see anything!" He yelled while changing the channel in the hope she wouldn't notice.

"Whatever. You're the little brother..."

"No, that's not me at all! I love R-rated stuff!"

* * *

Jared and Michelle watched South Park with the volume turned down on Wednesday night, so that their parents hopefully wouldn't hear all the foul language.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Karen felt like doing her evening stretches in the living room for whatever reason, which resulted in them growing rather paranoid.

"Oh, never mind me..." Karen cluelessly reassured. "There's nothing wrong with animated cats...oh my God!"

Her voice alerted Steve and he soon poked his head through the doorway to see what was going on.

"Wait a minute, are those cats snorting-"

"Kids, turn this off right now. We need to have a talk." Karen interrupted calmly, though it was clear from her trembling lip that she was quite horrified.

Michelle reluctantly obeyed and Jared sighed in dismay, as Karen called Steve over to support her in a lecture about what programs were appropriate for children.


	21. The Bad Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that Jared is a lot more fun to write about than Michelle, since he isn't quite your average kid.

Chelsea strutted along down the street enjoying the sunny weather and minding her own business, until a soccer ball suddenly flew by her face. The narrow miss made her heart skip a beat and she breathed a sigh of relief over the fact that her nose would survive the day intact.

"Sorry, miss. I didn't see you there..."

She heard the voice and turned to see a preteen boy running across his lawn right toward her. He was an impish looking child with mischievous brown eyes that charmed her as he ran on to the road to retrieve his ball.

"I'm Jared..." He greeted eagerly upon returning to stand before her. "What's your name?"

"Chelsea?"

"Hi, Chelsea. You're really pretty..."

Chelsea smiled bashfully while none the wiser to Jared's gaze falling upon her cleavage and bare midriff. A sprinkler on the other side of the street turned on and began spraying copious amounts of water all around.

"Ha, I guess that thing has a mind of its own..."

She stared speechlessly ahead, then quickly left due to the feeling that she'd seen too much.

"Bye, sexy lady!" Jared called out after her with a wave.

* * *

"You won't believe what I saw outside..." Jared began with a suggestive smile upon coming back into the house and joining Michelle on the living room floor.

"Oh, yeah? What?" She asked while turning to face him with a cock of her defined eyebrows.

"A really hot lady." He replied, putting both hands to his chest to demonstrate the shape of the woman's breasts. Michelle glared at him in disgust.

"Okay, stop it now..."

"No, Michelle! I'm not done!" Jared insisted before continuing to describe the encounter. "She was wearing a top that showed off her tummy and belly button. I'll even show you..."

He stood up to begin demonstrating, at which point Michelle couldn't tolerate anymore. She rose to her feet also and delivered a firm kick to his shin in revenge.

The blow made him double over in pain as a shrill squeak rung out from his lips. Michelle ignored him and sat back down to keep enjoying her favorite show in satisfaction.

* * *

_"Oh, wow. She's coming my way..."_

Sandy-haired Zach took a deep breath to calm himself at the sight of his crush April gracefully making her way along the school corridor. He spent the few seconds before she reached him, checking his breath and raising his toes so that he could meet her at eye level.

April's golden hair and hazel eyes glinted in the sunlight that was streaming through the nearby window. Zach put on the most charming smile he could muster and opened his mouth to say the words he'd been rehearsing for a week, only for a larger presence to suddenly come up behind him.

"Back off. She's mine!" Jared boldly declared, throwing his arm out to shove Zach aside much to the latter's shock.

Zach briefly lost his balance and wound up slamming against his own locker before the sight of Jared approaching April and striking up a conversation made his heart ache. He lowered his head in resignation and while grabbing his schoolbag, decided that he'd try again another day.

_"You'll notice me then, and we'll be the best of friends..."_

He left the building and his absence went unnoticed by both Jared and April.

"So, April, you want to come to my house on Saturday? We just got a new computer. Windows 98..."

April wrinkled her eyebrows. She was quite prepared to decline his invitation but then realized that it would simply result in him bothering her again next week.

"Fine, I will. Happy now?"

Jared could not contain his joy and gave a wide grin.

"You know damn right I am!"

* * *

_A gentle glow visible near the foot of the stairs piqued Jared's curiosity and he began heading down to investigate._

_"Hello? Is anyone there?"_

_It turned out that the light was coming from the kitchen, where he spotted the mysterious man rummaging through the fridge for reasons unknown. The man soon sensed his presence and turned around to greet him._

_"Hey..."_

_"Who are you?! What are you doing?!"_

_Jared hurriedly took a step back with the intention of running upstairs to alert his parents, only for the stranger to grab him before he could do so._

_"No! Let me go!" He cried out while attempting to pull himself free._

_"Shush..." The stranger whispered urgently, placing one hand over Jared's mouth to quieten him down. "I'm not who you think I am..."_

_"Mmrrph?!"_

_"Look at my face and you'll see the resemblance..."_

_Jared stopped struggling and the stranger let him go. He took a moment to regain his breath before spinning around to gaze upwards. The face that looked down at him was familiar beyond a doubt, with many of the same features as Karen and Steve._

_"You...you look my Dad..." Jared began, trying hard to find the words to describe what he saw. "...but gay."_

_"Hey, there's a thing! It's called being nice to yourself!" The man yelled in response, clearly taking offense at somebody assuming his sexuality. "Anyway, I can say that you'll definitely prefer girls over guys..."_

_"Thank God..."_

_"...except for the time you get so heartbroken about losing your girlfriend that it turns you off women for a while. Anyway, if you're too stupid to figure it out, I'm you from the future..."_

_"What?! Really?!"_

_"Yeah."_

_"O-okay then. I guess it makes sense..." Jared replied, his eyes wide with awe. "Is there anything else you can tell me? Like how many girls I get to screw?"_


End file.
